The Cayman Islands Government operates under the framework of democratic governance through a parliamentary system. Following the most recent general election in 2017, The Progressive People’s Movement (PPM) the Cayman Democratic Party (CDP), and independent candidates formed a historic national coalition government.

Executive power is exercised by the Government consisting of the Governor as Her Majesty’s representative, and the Cabinet, which is composed of the Premier, seven other Ministers and two non-voting ex-officio members, the Deputy Governor and the Attorney General.  

Legislative power is vested in the unicameral Parliament of the Cayman Islands which is composed of 19 Elected Representatives for the Islands’ constituencies, as well as two non-voting ex-officio members.

Headed by the Chief Justice, the Judiciary administers the law independently of the executive and the legislature arms of Government. It consists of three jurisdictions – the Summary Court, the Grand Court and the Court of Appeal.

The 2009 Constitution came into effect on 6 November 2009 following approval by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Privy Council. It is the fourth written constitution since 1959 and signals balanced governance through increased consultation and accountability. In July 2016, several minor amendments were advanced to the 2009 Constitution, by way of the Cayman Islands Constitution (Amendment) Order 2016. These amendments relate to the tenure of and applicable disciplinary procedures for our judiciary. The current Constitution includes, for the first time, a Bill of Rights which came into force on 6 November 2012.

The Constitution was further modernised in December of 2020 to clarify the boundaries of responsibilities between the United Kingdom and the Cayman Islands and to ensure that, when the United Kingdom does exercise its powers, the Cayman Islands is previously consulted and has an opportunity to provide feedback. This amendment also renamed the Legislative Assembly to the Parliament and established the offices of Parliamentary Secretaries.

In July 2023, the constitution received an annual update coinciding with Constitutional Day, which is observed every year on the 3rd of July. Furthermore, the HE the Governor Jane Owen and Chief Justice Hon. Margaret Ramsay Hale. Other major points highlighted in the update included the adoption of a Ministerial Code of Conduct, progress on introducing a Parliamentary Code of Conduct, and the historic visit of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.